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Spelling

Spelling CurriculumSpelling Resources

The ability to communicate is essential for human life. We know how to communicate as soon as we're born—crying because we're hungry, crying because we're tired, smiling when our needs are met. It's primitive communication, to be sure, but effective. As we get older, we learn to speak, listen, read, and write, all skills requiring an understanding of the rules that govern them.

Without rules, the elements of communication become meaningless. Rules are the guidelines that help us know when we say something to another person, they'll understand what we're saying. Even then, interpretation is almost always necessary, and no matter how careful we are in our speech and writing there's always someone who will misunderstand our message.

As a result, paying attention to the rules is something we neglect at the risk of being unable to communicate. In an age when spell-checkers underline our mistakes, however, we often have the (usually subconscious) attitude that spelling rules can be ignored. This partly stems from laziness, but more importantly it stems from a lack of knowledge: sure, spelling mastery takes some work initially, but the work it saves once accomplished is far greater.

Many of us weren't taught the fundamentals of English spelling when we were in school. Either we got straight phonics, or we learned to read using the "look-say" method of sight recognition. Neither of these methods take into account the magnificent and often frustrating complexity and adaptability of our language, and therefore neither taught us how to decode words, instead teaching us a formula that would work only most of the time.

Language changes, but it changes slowly, and never so quickly that we can't keep up with new forms and uses. The rules of grammar and spelling don't shift unless there's a need or a cataclysmic event (like the Tower of Babel or the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066), and even then the change isn't usually immediate. We can keep up with the rules, and we should because knowing them helps us communicate easier and more clearly.

But why spelling in particular? Why not just rely on spell-check? Anyone with experience in word processing will know the answer to the second question immediately: spell-check doesn't catch every mistake. Even if it did, we wouldn't find all the red underlines, and our emails, resumes, and papers would still be full of mistakes.

There's an even more fundamental reason, though. Learning to do something right the first time is crucial for just about any discipline. Take home construction, for instance; a builder doesn't slap together a few walls and a roof as quickly as possible just to get it done, then look for mistakes and problems later. A builder studies the plans, chooses the best materials, and puts the house together right the first time.

The same is true of musicians: an orchestra or band doesn't wait till they're on stage to go over their material, and fix mistakes after they've been made (if at all). Instead, they rehearse their songs as often and as thoroughly as possible before the performance so the audience will be able to enjoy good music properly performed.

Why do we make an exception for spelling? Not everything is written on a computer (even in this Technological Age), and even those items that are deserve to be written carefully and clearly the first time. Misspelling words (at the least) makes reading difficult and (at the worst) obscures or even changes meaning completely. If we know the rules well enough to spell words correctly the first time, we'll save ourselves and our readers a lot of headache and a lot of time.

It's important that kids learn these skills early on as their school careers will require plenty of writing, even if they stop after high school. Learning to spell also teaches them discipline, giving them the ability to write effectively rather than just quickly (though they'll be surprised how much faster they can write when they know how to spell the words!), and to pay attention to their work.

We carry many spelling curriculum lines, as well as plenty of resources and supplemental guides and worktexts. Spelling really requires nothing so much as practice and consistency, and mostly these books are collections of the spelling rules with lists of words to practice spelling. This doesn't necessarily need to be its own subject, but it does need to be learned and mastered, whether your kids want to become professors of literature or auto mechanics.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

 

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25 Super-Fun Spelling Games
by Nancy Jolson Leber
from Teaching Resources
for 2nd-4th grade
in Spelling Resources (Location: REF-SPE)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
70 Basic Phonogram Cards
by Wanda Sanseri
5th edition from Back Home Industries
for 1st-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$18.00 $12.00 (1 in stock)
70 Basic Phonograms - CD
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 3 - Teacher Edition (old)
from ACSI (Purposeful Design)
for 3rd grade
$10.00 (2 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 4 - Worktext (old)
2nd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 4th grade
$13.00 (5 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 4 Set - Worktext and Teacher Edition(old)
2nd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 4th grade
$23.00 (1 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 5 Set - Worktext and Teacher Edition(old)
2nd edition from Purposeful Design Publications
for 5th grade
$22.00 (2 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 6 - Teacher Edition (old)
from Purposeful Design Publications
for 6th grade
$10.00 (1 in stock)
ACSI Spelling 6 Set - Worktext and Teacher Edition (old)
from Purposeful Design Publications
for 6th grade
$23.00 (1 in stock)
All About Spelling - Divider Cards
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-7th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$5.95 $3.50 (1 in stock)
All About Spelling Level 1 - Teacher's Manual & Student Materials Packet (old)
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-2nd grade
$32.95 $25.00 (3 in stock)
All About Spelling Review Box with Divider Cards
by Marie Rippel
from All About Learning Press
for 1st-6th grade
in All About Spelling (Location: SPE-AAS)
$17.95 $12.00 (1 in stock)
At the Farm
American Language Series
by Guyla Nelson & Saundra Lamgo
from Mile-Hi Publishers
for Kindergarten
in American Language Series (Location: PHO-AMLAN)
$15.95 $9.50 (2 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 2 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 2nd grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 4 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 4th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 5 - Answer Key
2nd edition from Christian Liberty Press
for 5th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 7 - Answer Key
from Christian Liberty Press
for 7th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Building Spelling Skills Book 8 - Answer Key
from Christian Liberty Press
for 8th grade
in CLP Building Spelling Skills (Location: SPE-CLP)
$6.45 $3.50 (2 in stock)
Dr. Dooriddles B1
by John H. Doolittle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-7th grade
in Dr. Funster & Dr. Dooriddles (Location: LOG-DR)
$10.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Greek & Latin Roots Keys to Building Vocabulary
by Timothy Rasinski, Nancy Padak, Rick M. Newton, Evangeline Newton
from Shell Education
for Adult
in Classroom Teacher Resources (Location: HSR-CTR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 2 - Teacher's Guide
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 2nd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$27.50 $14.00 (1 in stock)
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 3 - Dictionary
from Alpha Omega Publications
for 3rd grade
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$12.50 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary 3 - Teacher's Guide
from Alpha Omega Publications
in Horizons Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-HOR)
$17.95 $12.00 (2 in stock)
How to Spell Like a Champ
by Barrie Trinkle, Carolyn Andrews, Paige Kimble
1st printing from Workman Publishing
for 1st-8th grade
in Spelling Resources (Location: REF-SPE)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 1
by Laura Toby Rudginsky & Elizabeth C. Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 1st grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$14.49 $7.00 (1 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 3
by Laura Toby Rudginsky & Elizabeth C. Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-6th grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$18.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 4
by Laura Rudginsky & Elizabeth Haskell
from Educators Publishing Service
for 7th-12th grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$18.59 $9.00 (1 in stock)
How to Spell Workbook 4 - Teacher's Key
from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Advanced Phonogram Flashcards (old)
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
$10.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Basic Phonogram Flashcards (old)
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
$9.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials - Morpheme Flash Cards Set (old)
from Logic of English, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
$8.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Reader
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$24.99 $12.50 (5 in stock)
LOE Essentials Volume 1 - Teacher's Guide
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$54.99 $30.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Essentials Volume 2 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99 $7.00 (2 in stock)
LOE Essentials Volume 4 - Student Workbook
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for 2nd-6th grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Grammar Flashcards (old)
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
$11.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Phonogram Game Cards - Blue Bookface (old)
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
$7.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Phonogram Game Cards - Green Cursive
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$11.99 $7.50 (1 in stock)
LOE Phonogram Game Cards - Red Manuscript (old)
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
$7.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Manuscript - Quick Reference Chart
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$9.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Rhythm of Handwriting Manuscript - Workbook
1st edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$11.99 $8.00 (1 in stock)
LOE Spelling Analysis Quick Reference Card
from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$0.99 $0.70 (1 in stock)
LOE Spelling Journal (old)
2nd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic of English (Location: PHO-LOE)
$4.20 (2 in stock)
LOE Spelling Rule Flashcards (old)
3rd edition from Logic of English, Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
$6.00 (1 in stock)
McCall-Crabbs Books A-E - Teacher's Guide & Answer Key
by William A. McCall & Lelah Mae Crabbs
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-9th grade
in McCall-Crabbs Reading Comprehension (Location: REACOM-MC)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
McCall-Crabbs Standard Test Lessons in Reading
by William A. McCall & Lelah Mae Crabbs
from Back Home Industries
for 1st-9th grade
in McCall-Crabbs Reading Comprehension (Location: REACOM-MC)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
Measuring Scale for Ability in Spelling
by Leonard Porter Ayers
from Mott Media
for 4th-6th grade
in Spelling Resources (Location: REF-SPE)
$4.00 (3 in stock)
Megawords 2 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 5th-6th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69 $12.00 (1 in stock)
Megawords 7
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49 $9.00 (1 in stock)
My Favorite Kindergarten Poems (old)
from A Beka Books
for Kindergarten Age 5
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$5.80 (3 in stock)
Phonetic Zoo Personal Spelling Cards
from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 4th-8th grade
in IEW Excellence in Spelling (Location: SPE-IEW)
$5.00 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Phonetic Zoo Spelling - Lesson Cards
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 4th-12th grade
in IEW Excellence in Spelling (Location: SPE-IEW)
$15.00 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level A - CDs only
by Andrew Pudewa
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 4th-5th grade
in IEW Excellence in Spelling (Location: SPE-IEW)
$79.00 $50.00 (2 in stock)
Phonetic Zoo Spelling Level B - CDs only
by Andrew Pudewa
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 6th-8th grade
in IEW Excellence in Spelling (Location: SPE-IEW)
$79.00 $50.00 (2 in stock)
Reason for Spelling - Level C set (old)
from A Reason for…
$30.00 (1 in stock)
Reason for Spelling Level A - Teacher Guide (old)
from A Reason for…
for 1st grade
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Reason for Spelling Level C - Teacher Guide (old)
from A Reason for…
for 3rd grade
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 2 - Teacher's Edition
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 2nd grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$2.00 (7 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 3 - Teacher's Edition
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 3rd grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 4 - Teacher's Edition
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 4th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 5 - Student Workbook
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 5th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 5 - Teacher's Edition
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 5th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$5.00 (4 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 6 - Student Textbook
Spelling By Sound & Structure
2nd edition from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 6th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 6 - Student Textbook (old)
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 6th grade
in Clearance: English & Language Arts (Location: ZCLE-LAN)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 6 - Teacher's Edition
Spelling By Sound & Structure
2nd edition from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 6th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 7 - Student Textbook
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 7th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Rod & Staff Spelling 7 - Teacher's Edition
Spelling By Sound & Structure
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 7th grade
in Rod & Staff Spelling (Location: SPE-R&S)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 1 - DVD
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$15.00 (2 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 1 - Student Workbook
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 1 - Teacher Edition
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$10.50 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 2 - DVD
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$18.00 (2 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 2 - Teacher Edition
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$9.00 (4 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 2 - Workbook
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$7.00 (5 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 2 for Home Study Learning
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$15.00 $9.00 (4 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 3 - DVD
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 3 - Teacher Edition
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$10.50 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 3 - Workbook
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 4 - DVD
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$18.00 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling 4 - Workbook
Sequential Spelling
by Don McCabe
from AVKO Educational Research Foundation, Inc.
for 5th-7th grade
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Sequential Spelling for Adults
by Don McCabe
Revised Edition
for 11th-Adult
in AVKO Sequential Spelling (Location: SPE-AVKO)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Sounds of the Sea
American Language Series
by Guyla Nelson & Saundra Lamgo
from Mile-Hi Publishers
for Kindergarten
in American Language Series (Location: PHO-AMLAN)
$15.95 $9.50 (1 in stock)
Spectrum Vocabulary Grade 6
from Spectrum
for 6th grade
in Spectrum Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: ZCLE-SPEC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Spell to Write and Read
by Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Kindergarten-12th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Spell to Write and Read (Location: PHO-SWR)
$58.00 $24.00 (1 in stock)
Spell Well
by Susan C. Anthony
from Instructional Resources Company
for 9th-12th grade
in Spelling Plus (Location: SPE-PLUS)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Spellbound - Teacher Manual
by Elsie Rak
from Educators Publishing Service
for 3rd-8th grade
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling 4 - Teacher Edition & CD
2nd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 4th grade
in BJU Spelling (Location: SPE-BJU)
$81.11 $40.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling 5 - Teacher Edition & CD
2nd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 5th grade
in BJU Spelling (Location: SPE-BJU)
$81.11 $40.00 (2 in stock)
Spelling 6 - Student Worktext
from Bob Jones University Press
for 6th grade
in BJU Spelling (Location: SPE-BJU)
$32.50 $18.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling and Poetry 1 - Teacher Edition
5th edition from A Beka Books
for 1st grade
in A Beka Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-ABK)
$17.00 (2 in stock)
Spelling and Poetry 2 - Teacher Edition
4th edition from A Beka Books
for 2nd grade
in A Beka Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-ABK)
$17.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling and Poetry 3 - Teacher Edition
6th edition from A Beka Books
for 3rd grade
in A Beka Spelling & Vocabulary (Location: SPE-ABK)
$14.00 (2 in stock)
Spelling Dictionary for Beginning Writers Book 1
by Gregory Hurray
from Educators Publishing Service
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$9.19 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Spelling Dictionary for Writers Book 2
by Gregory Hurray
from Educators Publishing Service
for 3rd-4th grade
in EPS Spelling (Location: SPE-EPS)
$17.09 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Spelling Plus
by Susan C. Anthony
from Instructional Resources Company
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Spelling Plus (Location: SPE-PLUS)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling Plus - Dictation Resource Book
by Susan C. Anthony
from Instructional Resources Company
for 1st-6th grade
in Spelling Plus (Location: SPE-PLUS)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling Plus - Homophones Resource Book
by Susan C. Anthony
from Instructional Resources Company
for 1st-8th grade
in Spelling Plus (Location: SPE-PLUS)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling Power
by Beverly L. Adams-Gordon
4th edition from Castlemoyle Books
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Spelling Power (Location: SPE-POWER)
$30.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling Power - Activity Task Cards
by Beverly Adams-Gordon
from Castlemoyle Books
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Spelling Power (Location: SPE-POWER)
$32.95 $10.00 (6 in stock)
Spelling Power - Student Record Book (Red, 5/8")
by Beverly Adams-Gordon
from Castlemoyle Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Spelling Power (Location: SPE-POWER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Spelling Workout A - Teacher Edition
by Phillip Trocki
2nd edition from Modern Curriculum Press
for 1st grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in MCP Spelling Workout (Location: SPE-MCP)
$20.00 $8.50 (3 in stock)
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